Don't You Wanna Stay
by BroomballKraken
Summary: "Olberic...please, stay. Just a little longer." Erhardt said, his voice dropping to a whisper. He didn't have to ask twice. (Contains spoilers for Olberic's chapter 3.)


Olberic felt like he was in a dream. When he had set out on his journey to find Erhardt, all he could think about was making him pay for his betrayal, for his murder of the king they were both supposed to protect. It should have been the easiest thing in the world, striking him down.

And yet, here he stood, inside of Erhardt's modest Wellspring home, white-knuckling his cup of tea that was untouched and getting cold. In the end, he couldn't strike that final blow. The duel in that cave had brought back too many of the good memories from the past. The laughter and the friendly rivalry. The many drunken nights and mornings after helping each other recover. The nights of passion and the confessions of love. All of these memories thought to be buried deep in the back of Olberic's mind were now at the forefront, and he didn't know what to do about it.

The two men stood in silence. Erhardt stared at the ground, taking small sips of his tea every now and then. Olberic still hadn't touched his, and he eventually set his cup down on the small table in the middle of the room, and Erhardt jumped, startled by the noise.

"Uh…" Erhardt said, finally breaking the awkward silence, "You said you've been living in the Highlands?" Olberic nodded in response. "Do you like it there?"

"I like it well enough. Cobbleston is a quaint village. Nice and quiet. It never really felt much like home, though." Olberic said, averting his gaze. He didn't mind the life of a hedge knight in the small village, but he always felt like the life that he was living was missing something. Or rather, some_one_.

Ever since that fateful day on the battlefield eight years ago, not a day went by where Olberic didn't think about Erhardt. He thought about the betrayal and the hole it left in his heart. He thought about the months and months of training they did together to become a part of the royal guard. He thought about how Erhardt's skin felt pressed up against his own, how sweet his lips tasted, and how his gorgeous hair felt sliding between his fingers and how it tickled his face. Olberic had build up walls to harbor his feelings for Erhardt all these years, but now that he was standing before the man once more, he could feel the walls start to crumble. He wouldn't be able to hold back much longer if he stayed here.

"I-er, my comrades are probably waiting for me. I should get to the tavern." Olberic said, and he turned around to head to the door.

"Wait."

Olberic froze when he felt Erhardt grab his hand, and his heart started hammering hard in his chest. He didn't dare turn around, for he wasn't sure what he would do if he did. A few agonizing moments of silence followed, before Erhardt spoke again.

"Olberic...please, stay. Just a little longer." Erhardt said, his voice dropping to a whisper. He didn't have to ask twice. Olberic clenched his jaw and turned abruptly, yanking hard on Erhardt's hand so that the shorter man stumbled and fell against Olberic's chest. Faces only inches apart, Olberic moved to close the miniscule space between them, but he hesitated. What if this wasn't what Erhardt wanted?

Luckily, Olberic didn't have to worry about that, because Erhardt leaned up and softly pressed his lips to Olberic's. Olberic's eyes widened in shock, as a wave of happiness that he hadn't felt in a long, long time washed over him. Olberic pulled away only briefly to gaze deep into Erhardt's beautiful emerald eyes, before kissing him once again, this time rougher, needier.

Olberic let go of Erhardt's hand, and immediately buried his fingers into the hair at the back of Erhardt's head. Gods, Olberic had always loved Erhardt's impossibly beautiful, soft, golden hair. It felt the same as it had all those years ago, slipping between his fingers as Olberic continued to kiss Erhardt breathless. Erhardt's hands had moved to Olberic's back, clinging to him as if he'd die if he let go.

As Olberic parted his lips to allow Erhardt's tongue access to tangle with his own, he felt moisture on his cheeks, and the taste of salt on his lips. He wasn't sure if it was Erhardt's tears that he was tasting, or his own. Olberic slipped an arm around Erhardt's waist and pulled him closer still. They had been apart for far, far too long. Erhardt pulled away and moved to assault Olberic's neck with kisses. Olberic groaned deep in his throat. He needed to end this now, for if he let this go on for even a moment longer, he wouldn't be able to control himself. He and Erhardt needed to have a proper talk about their relationship going forward before things got too intimate.

"Erhardt...Erhardt, we should stop." Olberic said, placing a gentle hand on Erhardt's shoulder. Erhardt frowned and pulled away, chewing on his bottom lip with a conflicted look on his face. He finally sighed and nodded.

"Aye, you're right, as always." he said, and Olberic chuckled. He had considered striking Erhardt down only hours before, so he didn't entirely agree with that.

"Not always."

Erhardt smiled, a bright and beautiful sight, and he leaned up to steal one more kiss from Olberic's lips. Olberic sighed contently and let himself enjoy the moment. They parted, and Olberic reached up to wipe away some of the tears that still clung to Erhardt's cheek.

"I would, ah, like to speak of...us, after I deal with Werner. If you would like."

"Aye, I'd like that."

They gazed into each other's eyes for a few moments, until Olberic felt his face heat up and he looked away, embarrassed. Erhardt laughed and placed a hand on Olberic's arm.

"Well, you should get back to your companions. They're probably waiting for you." he said, a smile crossing his face that was overshadowed by the lonely look in his eyes. Olberic smiled softly and shook his head, taking Erhardt's hand in his, causing Erhardt to blink at him, confused.

"Come have a drink with us. My friends are sure to welcome you with open arms." Olberic waited patiently as Erhardt hesitated and worried his bottom lip between his teeth. He then smiled and nodded as he laced his fingers with Olberic's.

"Alright, I guess I can have one." Erhardt raised an eyebrow as Olberic barked out a laugh.

"With this group, it will most likely be way more than one. Alfyn and Cyrus could give you a run for your money in terms of alcohol consumption."

"Is that so? Well, we'll just have to see about that, won't we?" Erhardt said, his laughter mingling with Olberic's as they left his house and headed for the tavern. As they walked and talked, Olberic cherished the heat of their clasped hands. He dreaded the moment when he would have to let go, which would be too soon for the both of them. For now, his fingers remained entwined with Erhardt's, and, for the first time in eight long years, Olberic felt like he was home.

* * *

Hi I am so fucking weak for these two, my god, and I'm shocked that it took me so long to write for them. I know this is a very self indulgent scenario because these two probably wouldn't actually be smooching this soon after Olberic's chapter 3, but this is Kraken's fan fic land and I do what I want! And what I want is for these two to be happy and in love damn it!

So, uh, yeah, this is my first time writing for these two, so I hope I did this pair justice, because they are easily one of my favorites. Thanks for reading!


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